Secret Life of a Konoha Teenager
by Naomi Yagawa
Summary: Do you remember the excitement and drama of high school, the thrills of youth, and all the angst and elation that comes with teen romance? In this nostalgic throw back to a younger time, mistakes will be made, hormones run wild, and some lives will be changed forever.
1. Chapter 1: A Beautiful Spring Memory

**Here it goes, another attempt at this story. Please review if you can! Feel free to PM me as well. I'll post responses to each review in the new chapters, which I will be uploading 3 times a week(Mon, Wed, Fri), until the story is finished :P Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it! **

**o**

* * *

Chapter 1

 _Past memories_

 _It had been a tragically beautiful spring. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the buds of new fruit signaled the coming birth of summer across the city of Konoha. The budding of a different kind of fruit was also in bloom._

 _An innocent pink haired child, still new to the world, was just now finding her voice. At six, the child had few cares in life, and even fewer fears, but those she did have seemed insurmountable. One particularly dark haired boy seemed untouchable and distant, surrounded by other children, smiling brightly with a glimmer in his eyes that she couldn't yet comprehend. Finding her voice, she asked simple questions, and to her surprise, she received simple answers._

 _That was almost ten years ago, and now, she could barely remember what they had said. All she knew of him now, was that they'd spent their young years side by side, smiling, holding each others frail tiny hands. It seemed like a distant, impossible memory now, and things changed so quickly. The warm, smiling boy, grew dark and distant. By middle school, he had pushed everyone away, most of all her. It never changed how she felt about him, only the way she felt about herself and the world around her. The world around him. Just before their first year ended, she was able to find her voice once more._

 _"Sasuke… I want to tell you something." They stood at the edge of the school property, the school day had run on longer than usual as school events began to wrap up the year. The sun was already disappearing behind the horizon, and a pink and orange glow filled the sky._

 _"I really like you, Sasuke."_

 _The wind rustled in the trees, and a sweet scent filled the air._

 _"Sakura." All she wanted was to see that smile one more time. He didn't have to return her feelings, but at the very least, he could look at her, just one more time. "You should forget about me." He stared at the ground, never once looking up._

 _"I can't! I could never forget about you! Sasuke, I...I lo-"_

 _"Stop! Just...Stay away from me Sakura." His voice was cold, hurtful, and gave her chills even in the warm afternoon. A car pulled up, a door was opened for him from the inside, and for a moment, Sasuke let the spring winds embrace him. The sensual scent of the cherry blossoms, the pink sky surrounding him, and a familiar fragile hand tugging on his jacket. She began to cry, and he couldn't bear it. He ripped his arm away from her, and never let himself look back._

 _For the rest of middle school, Sakura tried her best to follow Sasuke's request. Staying away from him was easy, as he dropped out of school without any notice. She never forgot about though, and she was beginning to wonder if she ever would. At the very least, she could move on, distract herself with another romantic interest. Plenty of young men confessed to her, and she was flattered by their gestures. But even now, 3 years later at 15 years old, waking up to get ready for the first day of highschool, she never forgot that tragically beautiful spring._

* * *

 _8:35 am_

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He was thrilled his best friend was finally back. He'd been gone for so long, missing out on so much, but now he was finally getting a chance to enjoy the rest of his young precious life. Naruto didn't know all of the details behind Sasuke's absence, but he knew enough not to pester him about. Not now at least, not while they were facing a sudden reunion with fellow classmates that never got a reason for Sasuke's disappearance the way Naruto did. Some of them might not be so understanding about his sudden return. One pink haired girl in particular came to mind...

"I'm fine. It's just school." Sasuke said, calm, seemingly unaffected by the situation. They had arrived at school early, as Sasuke preferred not to spend any unnecessary extra time at his home.

"Alright, but if you decide you don't want to be here, just let me know."

"Naruto, I said I'm fine. Stop treating me like I've got some handicap." Sasuke said. He was composed and assured, but he honestly didn't know if he believed his own words. In truth, he did feel like he had a handicap. It had been three years since he was around any of his old classmates, some of whom he'd been great friends with. A lot of them felt bitter about his cold shouldered behavior just before his disappearance, and showing up on day one wouldn't exactly be an ideal transition.

They were nearing the classroom now, and they hovered at the door before opening it.

"You know, Sasuke. She might be in there already."

"So what?" Sasuke said, the coldness of his words disappointed Naruto. "It doesn't matter anymore." He wondered if that was what he actually felt.

Naruto opened the door and walked in first. Sasuke, who was far more nervous than he expected, sheepishly entered the room behind him. Several eyes watched him in awe as he took a seat close to the back. Naruto patted him on the shoulder, and took a seat in front of him. Looking around him for a moment, a certain bright haired girl seemed to be absent. He felt relief, and disappointment.

* * *

 _8:59 am_

"Sakura! You're finally here, sheesh!" A sweet faced blonde yelled as Sakura ran through the hall towards the classroom. "I thought you were going to be late. You're never going to guess who's here!"

"Sorry, Ino. I got lost...You know how I am with directions." Sakura said, there was _maybe_ a minute left before the first bell rang, and it was just her luck to be late on the very first day. They hurried through the hall, nearing the classroom door.

"Sakura wait! Didn't you hear me?" Ino grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from going in the classroom. "There's a new face here, you should know who it is before you go in!"

"Ino, we don't have time, we're going to be late!" Sakura said, her friend had always been overly dramatic, this was probably no different.

"Sakura! I'm serious, please, don't go in there yet." Sakura did not head her warning, and stormed into the classroom, refusing to be late. "Sakura!" Ino yelled from outside of the hallway, but it was too late. She had slammed hard into a stiff body in front of her.

"Sorry! Are you...okay.." Sakura froze, stunned by a flood of nostalgia and confusion that came over her as the boy in front of her turned to face her.

"Sakura? You okay?" A raspy voice spoke as she collected herself. Before her was the red-haired delinquent of middle school, Gaara.

"Gaara?" She blushed. He was insanely popular with girls, not so much with the boys though. He had gotten into several fights in middle school, and was most notable for trying to incapacitate Naruto. They had a rivalry ever since, but with Sakura, he seemed different. He showed her a much more gentle side of him, and since last year she had begun to develop feelings for him.

He gave her a wink, those stunning teal eyes distracted her all the way to her seat as she put her things down just in time for the loud buzzing of the first period bell. Ino huffed in annoyance as she plapped down behind Sakura. Gaara sat on the other side, in front, right next to the window, and the teacher began to call roll.

 _This must have been who she was talking about._ Sakura thought, with a giddy bubbling in her stomach. Gaara seemed different, even though it had only been a short summer since she had last seen him. She had told Ino before that she had a thing for him, and had been encouraged to go for him, _or literally anyone_ , since she knew how hung up she had always been over Sasuke.

"Sakura Haruno?" Mr. Hatake called.

"Here." She said holding her hand up slightly.

"Hinata Hyuuga?"

"H-here." A shy voice said. Sakura had already zoned out again, feeling like this year might finally be different. Since Sasuke's absence, some part of her was always waiting for him to come back. Now, she felt she was finally ready to let it go, and with fairly naughty intentions, she thought that Gaara could be the one to help her _move on._

"Uzumaki? Wait- sorry, I uh, think I skipped someone...Sasuke Uchiha?"

 _...Sasuke...Uchiha?_ Sakura froze. She had dreams like this before, but as seconds passed, she tried to blink herself to consciousness only to realize she was in fact awake.

"Here." _That voice...it can't really be him, can it?_ She was so nervous, and it took all her will to turn and look at him.

And there he was...Stunning black hair, a tint of blue, and dark eyes that seemed to swallow her whole. He was even more beautiful than when she last saw him in middle, just before he abandoned her. She looked like a deer in the headlights, while he had an unreadable expression that she couldn't break from.

"I told you, Sakura!" Ino whispered angrily, frustrated that she couldn't have warned her friend. Sakura quickly looked forward again, fighting the tears that threatened her lovely green orbs, while her friend looked on with concern. Ino had liked Sasuke too, and they had all been good friends at one time. She was hurt by his harsh and cold emotional change during their younger days, but she knew that no one, even his best friend Naruto, was more affected then Sakura.

"Ino Yamanaka?"

"Heeere."

"Alright, that's it then." Hatake announced. "Welcome to your first year at Konoha High!"

* * *

 **o**


	2. Chapter 2: Moving On

**First review! In response to your comment, Guest: I'm not sure if your statements are related, but I assume you read/saw the other one? My previous take on this story idea didn't have NaruSaku, so I'm not sure why you would say that. I was planning on having a little of it, and this chapter was written before I saw your comment, so that's unfortunate to hear!**

* * *

Chapter 2 _  
_

 _"Hey Sakura!" A loud and boisterous young blonde skipped through a play yard, running towards a pink haired child. "We should play together! Let's play ninja!"_

 _"No Naruto, you play too rough! Besides, I'm playing with Sasuke." She said, pouting her lip at him, motioning to the smiling raven haired boy who was drawing on the ground with dark blue chalk._

 _"Well, can I play then?" Little Naruto said, cheeks blushing jealously._

 _"No Naruto! I only want to play with Sasuke right now!" Sakura was getting upset that her private time with her crush was being interrupted._

 _"Hey, Sasuke is my friend too, I can play with him if I want!" Naruto yelled._

 _"Yea, but I like him!" She yelled back._

 _"So what?! I like him too!" He was blushed, both from anger, and the embarrassing confession. Both Sakura and Sasuke were looking at him now with surprised expressions. Sakura hadn't even considered that a boy could like another boy._

 _Many years later, Naruto made a similar confession to Sakura. Sasuke had begun to separate himself from everyone, including Naruto. There was heavy tension between everyone who knew him, and Naruto thought this would be his chance to win her over and make things better. His timing though was poor, and she rejected him._

 _"I'm sorry, Naruto...Can we just be friends?" She said, with a guilty look on her face. The emotional awareness of the young 11 year old was still very under developed, and she had enough trouble understanding the loss of her life-long friendship with Sasuke._

 _"Sakura, of course. Friends forever, right?" Naruto said, giving her a sad smile, holding up his pinky. He was well aware that his words were a promise she'd already seen being broken once before._

 _Sakura! Let's be friends forever, okay?_

* * *

 _12:01 pm_

' _Naruto, we need to talk. I'll be by my locker, 7610_.' Sakura texted at the start of the lunch period. She was a horrible mixture of livid and confused. For three years she had no idea where Sasuke had been, no idea why he suddenly shut all of his friends out of his life. Now, all of a sudden, he just shows up, and Naruto seemed to talk to him like they'd been friends this whole time. It wasn't fair, but she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Naruto was wonderful guy, and had been a great friend to her.

It wasn't that long until he found her, and thankfully Sasuke was _not_ with him. He had a pretty good idea of what she wanted to discuss.

"Sakura..." He said softly, she wasn't even able to say anything before she started to tear up. Naruto knew she was always troubled by Sasuke's disappearance, but seeing him must have really opened up fresh wounds for her.

"Naruto, I-I don't even know where to start?! I-I..." she took a few deep breaths between tears. "When did you find out he was coming back?"

"Just this summer. Well...it was up in the air I guess, up until just last week."

"What?! That doesn't make sense. What happened to him? Where has he been?! How long have you two been in touch?!"

"Sakura, calm down. I'd like to explain everything, but-"

"But what?! He was my friend too, Naruto! It's not fair that you were the only one who got answers!" She said, stopping herself when she realized how aggressive she was getting. She and Naruto never fought like this, and she didn't want to start now. "I-I'm sorry, it's just...It was such a surprise. And..." She couldn't hold back the tears now. "I just missed him so much."

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. I know how you feel." Naruto embraced her. He really did understand. Sasuke was his first friend, his first crush, and his first heartbreak. The same was true for Sakura, and his own feelings for her were a close second to those he had for Sasuke. He felt guilty for knowing what was happening to him, and not telling Sakura, but he did have his reasons. Well, to be fair, they were Sasuke's reasons.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She said, gaining her composure once more.

"Sakura...It wasn't for me to share. I...guess I should have told you I was still in contact with him, but...I'm sorry, it's complicated." Naruto started, "Maybe you should ask Sasuke?"

"Naruto...You know I can't speak to him now. I...was barely able to focus being in the same room with him."

"NARUTO UZUMAKI, REPORT TO THE AUDITORIUM. THANK YOU." A loud voice spoke over the intercom.

"Oh shit, I completely forgot. Sorry Sakura, I gotta run! Just think about it, everything will be okay, believe it!" He said, throwing her a goofy grin and a thumbs up, making her giggle. His last words were yet another throw back to middle school, back when he wasn't the handsome blue eyed gentleman that he was now. Before lunch had ended, she found herself back in class, waiting for class to start again.

"Sakura." She heard, spinning her head around in surprise, her heart skipping a few beats. "How's it going?" Said a raspy, aluring voice.

"Oh, Gaara. I'm fine, h-how are you?"

"You don't seem fine, but okay." He said, taking a seat in front of her, leaning his back against the window so he could still see her. "I'm okay, but listen, I've got an idea." He said, leaning in a little bit. He was incredibly handsome, with an exotic look, and smooth moves that could make any girl fall for him. "I hear Hidan is throwing a senior reunion party, and everyone's invited."

"Hidan? He's in that club, right? Akatsuki?" Sakura said, his teal eyes on her emerald orbs felt intense, and she couldn't help but blush at the attention.

"Yea," He gave her a subtle smile. "A friend of mine, Sasori, is one of them too. So, would you go with me?" He said, his hand playfully grazed over hers.

Sakura seemed surprised, but she thought back to their time in the last year of middle school. She caught him looking at her a lot, and he'd even touched her hands a few times, just like he was doing now. For some reason though, his actions didn't seem sincere. She'd seen him flirt with other girls, and it wasn't exactly hard to do with looks like his. Still though...

"Y-yea, I'd like that." She said sheepishly, wondering if she'd regret it.

"Great, it's this weekend. I can pick you up?" The classroom door opened. Gaara at this point was awfully close to Sakura's face, touching her hands, and the last person she would ever want to her like had just walked in.

Sasuke locked eyes with her, and for a split second, he looked over the scene before him with surprise before looking away and walking calmly to his seat. Sakura pulled away from Gaara, who noticed her face twist nervously at the site of Sasuke. He leaned in again, and whispered. "Boyfriend?"

She looked up with shocked eyes, trying to laugh off the statement. "No."

"Ex-boyfriend?"

"No, never." She said, with disappointment in her voice.

"I see." Gaara said, she was almost _too_ easy for him to read. "Well, his loss." he said, and it wasn't exactly quiet. Sakura looked down at her desk, softly pulling her hands away and putting them on her lap. What she didn't see was Sasuke glaring at Gaara from behind her, while Gaara gave him a wicked, triumphant smirk.

After a few minutes, lunch officially ended, the students poured in, and class had begun. It didn't last long, as an interc announcement called all of the students for an assembly in the auditorium.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Ino asked, while they walked through the mass of students in the hall.

"Yea, I'm fine. Why?"

"You've been spacing out all day. I know seeing Sasuke must be tough-"

"It's fine. I'm over it anyway."

Ino gave her a shocked stare. "R-really?"

"Yea, I've got a date this weekend anyway, so...I should forget about him."

"You have a date? Oh no, Sakura, is it with Gaara?"

"Yea! Why is that a bad thing, you told me to move on!"

"Sakura! Sasuke is back now! You don't have to move on anymore!" Ino said, and the words hit Sakura hard. It wasn't that easy though, since Sasuke's personality seemed the same as when he left. She'd waited so long, it wasn't fair that she should have to keep waiting. Still, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like now. The current Sasuke, a handsome and strong young man, smiling that innocent smile he so often showed her as a child...But that wasn't him anymore. She didn't know who he was now.

Sakura just shook her head, brushing her friend off as she so often did these days. "Let's just find a seat, I want to go home and be done with this day."

"Welcome everyone! We're here to celebrate the start of the new school here at Konoha High School!" The principle of the school was standing off to the side on a large stage half covered with curtains. "Let me introduce to you your new Student Council!" The students clapped, showing some interest but not yet worked up.

"First, we'll start with your sophomore class president, Naruto Uzumaki!" This started to peak interest, as many people respected and liked Naruto. He walked out from behind the curtain in a classy bright blue suit, looking very sharp and handsome.

"Thank you Konoha! I'm going to work hard to be the voice of all students, so please feel free to come to me for help with anything!"

"Next, your junior class president, Rock Lee!" The Juniors went wild. Lee wasn't very popular in middle school and elementary, but since his first year in high school, he had really made a name for himself. He came out wearing his martial arts uniform, through which he'd gained notability for.

"Thank you! I will be working to preserve the youth and livelihood for our students both on and off our campus!" Lee had immense school spirit, and had been a close friend of Sakura throughout their school life. He confessed to her in his last year of middle school, but she just didn't have feelings for him.

"Finally, the senior class representative, and student council president for Konoha Highschool, Yahiko Amegakura!" The senior and junior classes erupted with applause, startling Sakura. Most of the sophomores didn't realize who Yahiko was, but he had the last two years to make an impression on the students, and won the election for student council president in a landslide. He was also sharply dressed in a black and red suit, but there was something very relaxed in his appearance. He had exotic piercings on his face, something probably not allowed on most school dress codes, but the soft face underneath and the intelligent charisma that emanated from him completed his look very nicely.

"Thank you students of Konoha. I am so grateful to those who supported me throughout my campaign last year. I hope I can be the council president you all deserve, even if I wasn't your first choice. Please do not hesitate to ask me anything this year, as I will be working towards my dream of seeing this year, my final year at Konoha High School, the absolute best year this school has ever seen!" The auditorium echoed with applause, students standing up in their seats. "Thank you so much! Let me take a moment to introduce the rest of the council!" Yahiko had cheerfully taken over for Principle Tsunade.

"Our historian, Konan!" A stunningly beautiful blue haired girl came out, in a classy and professionally styled dress with colors matching Yahiko's outfit.  
"Our public relations director, Hidan!" A loud yell could be heard before Hidan was seen, and he ran out onto the stage with unrivaled energy.  
"Our secretary of student affairs, Itachi!" There was a great applause for Itachi, but it wasn't well known who he was. Just like Sasuke, he'd been missing for three years. And just like Sasuke, he a mysteriously beautiful aura, with similar darkened eyes and long black hair. Sakura was fairly surprised to find out he was attending their highschool, it had been a long time since she'd seen or spoken with him. She wondered if he changed the way Sasuke did.  
"And finally, our treasury team, Sasori and Deidara." The pair walked out with nearly opposite appearances, one grinning widely, the other giving a calm and dull eyed grin, but they were rather attractive young men.

"Thank you once again, I urge you all to get as involved as possible! Please remember to take a look at the club activities board, and sign up for an afterschool group this week! Let's all have an amazing school year!" Yahiko raised his arms, and the crowd followed in suit. He really was a natural.

* * *

School was now over, and the students piled out of the auditorium, heading their lockers, while some just left immediately. Sasuke waited patiently outside of the school for Naruto to give him a ride home. Unable to shake the things he had seen today, he closed his eyes, trying not to think about Sakura in the classroom being touched by some stranger. He probably wasn't a stranger, which just made things worse. A beautiful girl like her probably had a few boyfriends in the time he had been absent. It was best to forget about her, he had so coldly rejected her already, there was no forgiving what had happened between them. He couldn't deny the pain he felt deep in his heart, remembering the fondness of their youthful friendship, but that was a different time. Things had changed, and they weren't those people anymore... Suddenly, Sasuke felt a presence close behind him, and assumed it was Naruto.

"'Bout time, can we get going, I'm sick of being here."

"Already? The year just started little brother." Sasuke spun around, _that is not Naruto._

"Itachi." Sasuke said bitterly. "Get the hell way from me."

"Calm down Sasuke, I'm just reminding you that we have a session today. I came offer a ride, since you shouldn't be burdening Naruto with such things. It's bad enough that you're living with him."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you, leave me alone."

"Okay Sasuke, I'm sorry. I'll see you later then." Itachi said in a solemn tone, stepping away from him and disappearing into the parking lot.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said, calling to him, seeing the apparent rage and annoyance on Sasuke's face. "You okay?! What happened?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing." Sasuke said, he knew his brother was right in a way. He was burdening Naruto, though he probably didn't acknowledge it. "I'm...going to need a ride somewhere, sorry." He said, with slight guilt. He and Itachi had group therapy sessions, every Monday. _At least it's better than the daily therapy at the youth shelter._

Naruto had already been told, and he knew Itachi was a better brother than Sasuke could understand.


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

**Long chapter, sorry! New reviews, yay! LittleNightmare92: I'm glad you like it so far! I hope I don't disappoint, it's tough to balance having drama, but still having everyone be more or less good people :P YES I'm so glad you liked the flashback, I friggin luuuv SasuNaru, but realized I'd never written any of it before, so I just wanted a little peak into it ;)**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews! :) Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

 _Past memories_

 _"Itachi, what happened?! What happened to father? He-"  
_

 _"Sasuke, you need to go, hide in the closet, and call the police."_

 _"No, please, I don't like it in there! I don't want to be by myself!"_

 _"Sasuke, get out! Go!" The terror in Itachi's eyes looked like anger, and it was all Sasuke could usually remember. The blood on his clothing, something shiny in the middle of the floor, and the livid look on his fathers eyes as the light left him..._

* * *

 _Friday 4:15pm_

The week seemed to drag on endlessly, but with each day, Sakura managed to carry herself with more and more confidence. She still couldn't look directly as Sasuke, and she definitely didn't think she could approach him anytime soon, but she no longer cowered in her desk when he walked by. Gaara noticed this change in her, and he _really_ liked it.

"Feeling better already? You mind telling me what happened between you two, anyways?" Gaara inquired, following Sakura to her locker. He'd been flirting with her all week, and it was getting less and less subtle.

"Nothing happened between us, we just...used to be friends. We grew up together." Sakura slowly gathered her things, somewhat lost in thought. "And then, he disappeared."

"You liked him though, didn't you?"

She looked up at him with surprise in her eyes. He wasn't really that much taller than her, but she wasn't really tall in the least. "Am I that obvious."

"You are to me." He said softly, for once, his words sounded genuine. Most of the time he seemed to just be playing with her, not that she minded. In this moment though, he looked sincere and looked at her warmly, that sly smirk was absent, replaced by something remarkably unique that she couldn't quite identify. "I see right through you Sakura. So just tell me, you liked him?"

"Yea. I did, but he rejected me." She said, the words felt cold and harsh on her tongue, it wasn't something she liked discussing. It was bad enough that she was remembering it more often than ever now that he was back.

"Then forget about him. Sakura, I really like you." Gaara said, leaning into her, his face hovering just near her lips, and she rested her back against the locker. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering those same words coming out of her mouth when she uttered them to Sasuke. Gaara was right though, it was time to forget, and she was tired of feeling that sickening pit in her stomach that longed so _deeply_ for Sasuke. She wanted so badly to fill that hole, and maybe now she was finally ready.

Gaara kissed her gently, just grazing his mouth over her shaking lips. He ran his thumb over her cheek, her head was swimming, and she kept her eyes closed. Once again, she didn't see that Sasuke had been watching, but Gaara saw. He gave Sasuke a smirk before pressing his lips deeply onto Sakura's pink ones.

"Hey, get a room you two!" Said a jesting Chouji, who smiled at the couple while walking by. Sakura looked up and smiled at Gaara, who was dawning a devious grin.

"Don't forget about the party tomorrow okay?" She nodded, flushed and embarrassed now. She didn't expect that they would actually kiss in the middle of the hallway. "I'll text you tomorrow, 'kay? Send me your address."

"Okay." She said quietly, smiling as he walked away. When she turned, she saw another familiar back walking away from her. _Sasuke... I wonder if he saw._ Somewhere, in a dark shut away part of her soul that was screaming to be set free, she both hoped he had and hadn't seen.

* * *

 _Saturday 8pm_

"Sasuke." Naruto knocked on the door leading to the room Sasuke had been staying in since he'd moved in to his home. "Can I come in?" Naruto asked quietly, in case he was asleep.

"Sure..." Sasuke said lazily. The TV was on, but Sasuke just laid there on the small cot like bed, staring at the ceiling fan, wearing only some loose sweat pants.

"So, there's that party tonight. I know it's being held at your house. You should probably go and let loose a little. I think you'll feel better if you do."

"Hell no." Sasuke said sharply, and the words hit Naruto like a flat board.

"Ugh, Sasuke, come on, just give it a chance. Look, I really want to go, but I can't show up without you.." Naruto came over and crouched by his bed. "Please? Pretty please?"

Sasuke scoffed and rolled over. "Fine, whatever. But we're not staying for long."

"Okay! Well, you better get ready, we're leaving soon." Naruto perked up, leaving his room, but not before getting a second look at Sasuke's pale and sweet bare skinned back. It had been a long time since he got over his crush on Sasuke, but having him close like this made it easy to remember what it had felt like. More than anything, he wanted his friend back, smiling and warm. He really didn't need anything else from him, not anymore.

* * *

 _Saturday 7pm_

Gaara moved through his home quietly, hoping not to arouse any suspicion. He was an eloquent and seemless dresser, but tonight he had put a little extra outfit into his appearance, and his ever keen family would be sure to notice if they saw him.

"GAARA!" Shit, too damn late. Gaara froze with annoyance, he was so close to the door too. "Where do you think you're going, Mr. Fancy Pants. Got a hot date or something." It was his sister, but not his _real_ sister.

"Yea, actually I do, and I'd really rather not be late, so I better get going." Gaara said, backing up towards the door.

"Oh Gaara, that's great! Is she cute? Why didn't you tell me, I would have let you borrow my make up!" She teased him a lot about the eyeliner her used, but it was a habit that he'd gotten really good at, and didn't feel like breaking anytime soon. Besides, he pulled it off so damn well, and it made him different. He never seemed to be able forget that he was different, so at some point he just embraced it.

"God, just drop it okay, Temari? I'm leaving now."

"Wait, come here! Let's take a picture first! Kankuro, come here! Gaara's going on a date!"

Gaara left as soon as he could, he didn't like the overbearing and overly caring nature of his family, his _adoptive_ family to be knew they loved him, but he had trust issues that he wasn't able to so easily overcome when it came to family.

He hopped into his convertible, another one of the overbearing reminders his family gave him to try and prove he was in fact _their_ son, and _their_ little brother. He really did appreciate them, but the effort was so obvious, and just further singled him out.

He arrived at Sakura's house after a short time, they didn't live far apart. Both of them were in fairly nice suburban neighborhoods, clean cookie cutter homes. They looked similar, and fit a very controlled appearance. Gaara figured Sakura led a very average life, only so much could happen in this kind of environment.

"Hey there beautiful." He said in a cool tone as she met him at her door, and she really did look beautiful. Her hair was lightly pinned up, and she wore a modest but fitting light blue dress. He was always intrigued by her, and he felt lucky to be spending this time with her. However, he didn't usually stick around with just one girl, and he didn't think this would be any different.

"Thanks." She whispered shyly.

"Do your parents know you're spending time with a _dangerous_ guy like me?" He said in a teasing tone, but she didn't seem to pick up on the joke.

"Nah, they don't really care." She said, rather plainly. Sakura had such an air of charming innocence, the wind tossed her soft pink bangs across her porcelain perfect face. If he wasn't driving he'd happily spend the afternoon staring at her, admiring her beauty.

"So, you can do whatever you want then?" He asked, trying to distract himself with driving. The attraction he felt for her was starting to concern him, it seemed different than what he'd felt before, and he really didn't want to fall for her.

"I guess so." She said, some sadness in her tone.

"We'll have fun, I promise, okay?" Sakura just smiled at him, and it wasn't long before they arrived at the party location. It was hard to miss. The house was stunning, large, completely lit up, with loud music booming from inside. Sakura almost didn't recognize the home, surrounded by stumbling people, and cars everywhere. This was the Uchiha home.

"I thought this was Hidan's party?" Sakura said, not sure how to explain the sudden shock she was feeling. She just couldn't shake the Uchiha's this week, sadly, since she was really looking forward to spending time with Gaara, free from other _distractions._

"It is, why?"

"This...isn't his house, is it?"

Gaara genuinely didn't know what she was talking about, as far as he knew, this was where the Akatsuki lived. Sasori, Deidara, Hidan...fuck...and Itachi. Gaara hadn't even considered Sasuke being connected to Hidan or the Akatsuki. Some part of him was glad that things turned out this way. He very much planned on getting as intimate as possible with the pink beauty, and certainly wouldn't mind the jealous eyed Uchiha happened to see him making his claim on her. Gaara smirked wickedly, suddenly _very_ excited to see where the night would lead them.

He took her hand, helped her out of the car, and they entered the large house together.

"Welcome! Welcome!" A thundering voice yelled, "Sasori told me you'd be here," Hidan said, greeting them. "He didn't tell me you'd be bringing a such a lovely lady." Hidan was the _ultimate_ player, never serious in any aspect of his life, particularly relationships. Though, it was rumored he was actually a hard working student, making his position in the council much more appropriate.

"Drinks are in the back, there's food...somewhere around here.." It didn't help that he was already tipsy. "Plenty of bedrooms upstairs!" He winked at them, and Sakura blushed madly. Gaara put his arm around her shoulder and began to lead them elsewhere. "Have fun you two!" Hidan was already distracted by more people coming in the door to care that they were walking away from him.

"Okay, thanks man!" Gaara said as they dodged the heavy traffic area, leading Sakura through a mess of people littering every area of the home.

It had been years since she'd been here, and she could barely recognize any of it. The living room was definitely the most different. Before, she remembered a white and red theme, but now it was just a drab navy blue. The rest looked the same, aside from the passed out people, red cups, and _other_ paraphernalia here and there.

"This is crazy, you doing okay?" He yelled, it was so loud she could barely hear him. He handed her a drink, taking a sip from what he had in his hand. She just nodded at him. The energy in the room was crazy, she was actually starting to get excited. She too had a drink, and it wasn't long before one sip turned into several, and she was already getting another cup. She was starting to feel really good, and it made the things other people were doing a lot less crazy. There was a darkened half of the house where people were dancing and going wild. She pulled Gaara along with her into the crowd, and she really started to let loose. Gaara was immensely amused, and the hesitation that he initially felt in letting himself fall for her was starting to dissipate.

* * *

"Naruto, this is awful. Why did we even come?" Sasuke said bitterly, trying to plug his ears, begrudgingly accepting a drink from Naruto.

"It's not so bad! Just have a few drinks, and let loose!" Naruto downed his drink, while Sasuke eyed him with disgust. He appreciated the gesture, but parties were not _at all_ his thing. Adding to that the fact that he was here, in this god awful home, with all those memories...He didn't think it could get worse, but then again, the night was still very young.

Konana and Yahiko came to greet the young Uchiha, friends of Itachi that he'd known nearly all his life. "Sasuke! We're so glad you came, how are you doing?"

Sasuke just shrugged, blushing a bit. Konan was like an overdoting parent, and since he never really had a motherly figure, he actually enjoyed being around her. He didn't dislike Yahiko either, but he wasn't interested in a father figure, and Yahiko tried to hard to be just that. For a while the four of them stood around talking. Naruto was as enigmatic as usual, social and captivating, and Sasuke couldn't help but watch him with admiration. He assumed the alcohol was already going to his head, because the blue eyed blonde was starting to sound rather interesting, and looking much cuter than usual. He decided he needed some air, and headed for his old bedroom. There was a balcony there, and he could hide away from the noise and hoards of drunk people.

* * *

"I-I'm gunno go- to the bathum, k?" Said a clumsily drunk Sakura, trying to slip away from Gaara, barely able to navigate her way through the mass of moving bodies.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I-I'm fine! You- are the one that's not okay, you're not even drunk yet?! What's wrong...with you?" she slurred. Gaara had less to drink than she did, and really wasn't as much of a light weight. He was still amused by her, but she seemed to be really out of it. He thought about just taking her to an upstairs room, and getting in some _action_ with her before she was too far gone. Instead she skipped away, and disappeared into the crowd towards what he assumed was a bathroom.

In a whimsically drunk stupor, she walked up the stairs, passing several equally drunk people, and found her way into a familiar room. She hadn't even noticed the muscle memory that took her there, as she was sure she had forgotten it. It was Sasuke's room... She felt surreal and completely out of touch, and being there was like a dream. Even when someone walked in the room, she wanted to pretend it was someone else. Her vision was blurry, but she blinked her eyes until the boy in front of her had dark hair, dark eyes...

"Sasuke...You bastard! I have been waiting so long for you to show up!" *hiccup*, she stumbled a bit, moving towards him. _I should hit that pretty face of his, that'll show him._ She swung her arm, sure that she had just slapped his perfect face. She felt accomplished, but something was off.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I'm here now."

"Why...why did you leave..." Without any notice, she started crying, her emotions going completely haywire inside her. The alcohol had completely shattered her stability, and the chemicals were mixing her hormones in terrible ways. "Why did you leave me?" She stumbled over to him, collapsing in his arms.

 _"It's okay, Sakura. I'm here now."_

Things started to go black, and she fell into the most wonderful dream. A young, sweet Sasuke, sat next to her in his bedroom. Unprovoked, and full of innocence, he leaned over and kissed her gently for the first time.

* * *

 _Saturday 9:35pm_

It had been a long time since he'd been in his room. It didn't have any bad memories, he just couldn't stand what the rest of the house made him feel. Of course, it felt a lot different now, littered with inebriated bodies...Very different. His room though, it actually had good memories. Though he had learned that such memories could end up being just as bad in the end. He stood at the door for a moment before walking inside, remembering playing hide and seek with Naruto, having play dates and sleep overs with other students from his class like Shikamaru, Kiba, even Lee and Neji were in their circle of friends. They were good memories, but the best one was the most painful. One time, a beautiful green-eyed girl with long pink hair, sat nervously next to him on the floor against his bed. They were only in elementary school, but he was sure she was the most beautiful person he'd ever met, or would ever meet. He leaned over and kissed her, for the first, and last time. _She probably doesn't even remember that now._

He pushed the door open, and his eyes widened at the figure before him.

"Sasuke...You bastard! I have been waiting so long for you to show up!" *hiccup*.

"Shit. Sakura?! What the hell are you doing in here?" She swiped at him clumsily, missing him by a few feet. Stumbling forward towards him, tears in her eyes. "Are you drunk?" He didn't have time to process what he was feeling at the sight of her in his room, vulnerable, and looking as stunning as she did. More than anything, he wanted to make sure she didn't end up falling flat on her face.

"Why...why did you leave..." She burst out crying, and he felt his stomach in knots at the sound of her fragile voice. "Why did you leave me?" She stumbled over to him, collapsing in his arms, but not before throwing up all over herself, and him.

"Oh, fuck.." Sasuke whispered under his breath. Trying to assess the situation. This is bad, did she just pass out? I have to get cleaned up, or this is just going to get worse. "Sakura, wake up!" He shook her slightly, but she was completely out. Thinking fast, he closed and locked the door behind him, carried her to his bathroom, and began to remove their vomit soaked clothing.

Sasuke, shirtless, gingerly wiped Sakura's dress down, before propping her up and mentally preparing himself to undress her. He took a good look at her, brushing away the sweaty strands of hair sticking to her face, admiring her soft glowing skin. "Sakura, god, you're still as beautiful as ever." He played with one of the straps on her dress, before stopping himself, shocked at his own loss of control. He took a dry towel, put it over her, and stepped out of the bathroom. He whipped out his phone, and prayed that Naruto wasn't too drunk to pick up.

"Sasssssukey!" He heard on the other end of the phone.

"Naruto, can you walk straight?!

"Yea, I'm okay..I think." Sasuke sighed. It was going to have to be good enough.

"I need your help, come up to my bedroom." And with that he hung up. He didn't see the heavy blush Naruto was getting on the other line, who hesitated for a moment before running up the stairs.


	4. Chapter 4: Just a Dream

**(Review responses at the end :D )**  
 **A little fyi, I don't really know how drunk people are supposed to act. Most of the drunk people I see are either the same as they normally are but sleepier, or the same but louder, and that's not as exciting . so I tweaked the actuality of inebriation a little bit.**

Chapter 4

 _"That weak little kid? He'll never be picked, families don't want weird looking freaks like him."_

 _"Yea, he scares me! I wouldn't want to live with him."_

 _The inconsiderate mutterings of fellow children in the Suna adoption facility reflected the insecurities of all the youth who had been abandoned there. Heart broken faces searched the world around them for their special purpose in life. With no parents to show them what love was, their hearts hardened quickly. For one young red-haired boy, it was just barely too late.  
_

 _"Hi there cutie! You're going to be living with us from now on!" A perky blonde announce, "I'm Temari, and that dork over there is Kankuro!"_

 _"Why do we have to bring this kid home? I better not have to share any of my stuff."_

 _"You two with behave yourselves, and be nice to you're new brother."_

 _"He's not our real brother! He doesn't even look anything like us." Kankuro pouted._

 _Temari smacked him and shouted, "Didn't you hear mom? Shut up and behave!"_

 _Gaara didn't need them to pretend. He already knew he didn't fit in, and that he wasn't, and never would be a real member of their family.  
_

* * *

"Sasuke, what the hell happened here?!" Naruto said. He had blushed nervously when he arrived in the room to find a shirtless Sasuke hovering at the locked door, waiting for him and promptly locking the door behind him. However, seeing Sakura unconscious, disheveled, covered in something putrid, and slumped over in the bathroom killed any kind of _excitement_ he had built up. He hadn't had nearly enough to drink for the scene before him to be _any_ fun. "Is she okay? What...were you two doing?"

"She blacked out, after covering herself and _me_ in puke." Sasuke said, looking around his room for spare clothing. All the clothes of his that had been left there were a few sizes too small, but luckily some of Itachi's old things were there and fit him just fine. It wasn't until that moment that he realized nothing in his room had been moved in any way since he'd been away...

"So...you two didn't...you know?" Naruto said in a playful voice.

"No, Naruto. We didn't do anything." Sasuke seemed somewhat saddened. Seeing her crying like that, hurting, even if it was just the alcohol, it hurt more than the day he left. Probably because he only found that he wanted to be with her more and more with each day. Even now... And she was _so close_.

"Huh, well, what should we do?"

"She needs to get a change of clothing."

"You mean..undress her?! I can't do that!"

"Well then find someone who will, because I'm leaving."

"Shit..Okay, well, I'll get Konan, then drive you home okay? Just wait a sec! Sasuke!" Naruto tried to slow him down.

"No, Naruto, I...I can't stay here any more." Sasuke was dressed now, and heading for the door.

"Sasuke!" Naruto grabbed him by the arm, and they froze for a moment. "Do you know how long it's been since the three of us were together like this?"

"Really? Just like this, huh?" Sasuke said sarcastically, motioning to the mess in the bathroom.

Naruto cracked a smile, "You know what I mean. Admit it..." he said, trying to gain composure and looking at Sasuke with a serious depth. "You miss her, don't you?"

Sasuke looked away, and pulled his arm away, pausing for a brief moment at the door, reflecting on Naruto's words. "Things could be that way again, Sasuke." Naruto said, just before Sasuke left, locking the door from the inside out as he closed it behind him.

* * *

It had been nearly forty minutes since Sakura disappeared into the bathroom, and with the state she was in, Gaara wouldn't have been surprised if she'd passed in there. Or on her _way_ there... He decided to go looking for her, but he had no idea what the layout of the house was. Weaving through thick masses of people who were at their peak of inebriation was not how he intended to spend this night, and he was starting to get frustrated. He pulled out his phone and tried to call and text her, but there was no answer, and no response.

 _Could she be..._ He looked up the stairs, where couples had been going back and forth from all night. The lower level of the home was plainly the living and entertainment floor, but there was an impressive expanse of rooms on the second floor, and possibly on the third floor as well. He hadn't really though about who's home it was before, but now he was curious. Sakura never clarified how she knew it wasn't Hidan's...

He wandered around the upstairs area, but didn't make it far before a loud and piercing voice called to him. "GAAaaaraAA! You, wherer..Where is yur date!? huh?" _Oh joy._ Ino stumbled over to him, and gave him a soft punch to the chest. "Sakura? Where is *hiccup* Sakura?"

Gaara sighed, "I take it you don't know then?"

"Y-you're taking what now?!" Ino pushed him again, and he backed up into a wall as she sauntered towards him in a drunken stupor. The blonde looked very serious for a moment, and seemed to gain a few seconds of clarity, enough to say, "You're a bad boy, aren't you?" She started to push herself against him, "You're not good for Sakura, why not be with me instead?" She giggled,

"God, you're so dramatic. Go lie down, before you hurt yourself." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to push her away.

"No! You listen...to me! She..." _Wow, she is strong when she's drunk.._ She pushed him back into the wall, slamming her body against his. "She is so, so in love with Sasuke!" She whispered loudly into his ear, and he shivered angrily at the words. "She'll never like you anyways." Ino started crying, completely far gone, letting her head fall against his chest. Gaara tried to grasp that she was just very very drunk, and couldn't be trusted to deliver any truth. But her words sounded disturbingly sincere.

Suddenly, a firm hand appeared on Ino's sholder, and she turned to see a familiar tall young man. The glint of anger in his dark eyes coaxed her into some realm of clarity. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sasuke says, his words dripping with venomous anger, "Aren't you supposed to be here with Sakura?"

Gaara smirked, pushing away a stunned Ino. This wasn't exactly the way he wanted to confront Sasuke tonight, but it would have to do. "Why do you care?"

"Sasuke it was...just.. um." Ino stuttered, suddenly realizing what she had done. It didn't really matter at this point, since the tension between these two would have been the same regardless.

"You better not just be playing with her." Sasuke got closer to Gaara. He was noticeably taller than him, but Gaara made up for it with an intense aura that bordered on murderous.

"So what if I am?" His voice was sinister, and the closer Sasuke got to him the more energy he began to feel building in his fists.

"I swear, if you hurt her-"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Sasuke's eyes widened, and the truth of his words hit him hard.

"You son of a-" Sasuke swung at him, but Gaara blocked with impressive speed and caught his fist. Sasuke looked surprised, and was caught of guard. Gaara pulled him in, and punched him harshly in the stomach. Sasuke felt the wind knocked out of him, and gasped for air as he collapsed. Gaara didn't give him any time to catch his breath, and picked him up by his shirt, slamming him hard against the wall. He leaned in and whispered, "You screwed up your chance to be with her, now it's my turn."

Sasuke squirmed, and tried to speak, grabbing Gaara's wrist. He couldn't believe this punk ass kid was stronger than him. Several people had stopped and gathered to watch the confrontation.

Gaara shook him again when he tried to speak, and whispered again, with a wicked tone, "Thanks for warming her up for me, desperate girls are so much easier to get with."

"You... fucking bastard."

"Enough!" A strong voice yelled behind them, Gaara hesitated, but slowly let Sasuke down. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, feeling a unique high that only came from loosing control. "You two need to take this somewhere else." Gaara turned to see Sasuke's older brother, Itachi. Behind him was Konan, holding an unconscious Sakura, and something painful twisted in Gaara's stomach at the sight of her.

"Sakura," Gaara said softly, surprising himself at the aching he suddenly felt, and the speed in which all the rage left him. He had been distracted, and Sasuke took this opportunity to give him a solid left hook. Gaara fell back, dizzy, and slowly feeling the throbbing sensation rise in his face.

"Sasuke! Enough, both of you need to leave!" Itachi yelled, Yahiko had stepped in to restrain Sasuke. Gaara should have been livid, but he was actually feeling guilty. He had spent more energy trying to intimidate Sasuke, and not nearly taken enough care to show Sakura a good time, and all those things he said to piss of Sasuke...Now he had started to feel like he'd done the wrong thing.

Sasuke struggled against Yahiko's strong grasp, who just looked over at Itachi with concern. Itachi nodded, and Yahiko let him go. Sasuke stumbled away, and left angrily, glaring at Gaara, and then at his brother.

"Konan, Yahiko, please take Sakura to my car. I'll take her home." Itachi said, motioning to them as they nodded and carried Sakura away. "As for you, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask that you leave."

"What authority do you have to tell me to do anything, Uchiha?" Gaara said bitterly.

"This is _my_ home, and you've upset my guests." Itachi said plainly, Gaara grunted in disgust, and stormed out of the home.

He drove home much faster than he should have with the amount of alcohol that was in his system, and he was lucky to make it home safely.

He didn't want to think about the things he'd heard from Ino, the obvious protective nature that Sasuke seemed to have for Sakura, and the fact that he still didn't know what had happened to her. In the end he was more angry at himself than anything. He was really starting to enjoy his time with her, but he fucked things up, _as usual_. More than anything, he felt guilty about the crude things he'd said about Sakura. With anyone else, it wouldn't have mattered, but for the first time he felt something that he couldn't explain. Even if it was just to upset Sasuke, he regretted having said those things.

"Hey, honey, welcome home." His mother said sleepily yawning, sitting in the kitchen looking over some papers on the kitchen counter.

He ignored her and began to hurry up the stairs. "Woah wait a minute mister, what's going on, are you okay?"

Gaara stopped, "I'm fine."

"I know you're not, what happened? Were you drinking?"

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"Hey! Do not talk to me like that young man. You are too young to be drinking! You could have gotten pulled over, or had an accident!" She lectured.

"Just leave me alone, you can't tell me what to do!"

"Gaara, please calm down, just tell me what happened. Come on," She knew yelling didn't work with him, but not much did these days. "Come talk to mommy okay?"

"YOU'RE NOT MY MOM!" He yelled, echoing throughout the house. He ran up the stairs and into his room, slamming it behind him.

He slumped down against his been, clutching his head, grabbing fistfuls of hair, while threatening tears formed in his eyes. He was grieving for a lot more than just a disappointing night.

* * *

Sakura felt warm and soft, like she was resting in a cloud. She would have stayed there if the urge to empty her bladder wasn't screaming at her. She felt weak and numb, and her head ached, but she managed to collect that she was in her own room, still dress. On the night stand by her bed she saw a blue origami flower, and a note.

"Sakura, I hope you had fun tonight! I'm sorry about your dress, I'll have it returned to you Monday morning after it's been cleaned. Konan changed you into a dress of hers, but she said you're more than alright to keep it if you like. Here's some medication for your headache, sleep well tonight, and make sure you're well rested for school on Monday. -Yahiko"

 _What the hell happened to me?_ All she could remember was that strange dream about Sasuke, and being in his room. She would have to apologize to Gaara when she saw him again Monday. He had been so sweet the past week, and she was really looking forward to their time together. Now being so desperate to get over Sasuke, she had started to consider what she would do in a situation where she had the opportunity to go _further_ with someone. After failing to be a good date, she had a new resolve. She was ready to give herself to someone, and since that person could never be Sasuke, like she had wanted, she would make share such a thing with Gaara as soon as the time was right. In her sleepy stupor, such reasoning seemed flawless and appropriate. That night she closed her eyes to the imagery of Gaara, stunning and exotic, replacing every fantasy she had ever had about Sasuke. The seeds of her new desire had been planted.

* * *

 **Oof, that was hard to write. I hate spending a whole chapter on such a short time span of events, but it had to be done. Things will be moving a lot quicker after this. Also, I might be editing things in this chapter, since I feel I was more distracted than usual in writing it.**

 **Review responses:**

Hanmac: **I was sooo tempted! But it just didn't feel the right time for it :P  
** AlyGoesMeow: **I'm so glad you like it so far! I'm really excited about it :)  
** Guest **: Oh my gosh I am SO glad you like that, I was really worried people would think it's too out of character for him. I don't know if I've written it well enough for it to seem this way, but I picture him being more intense and aesthetically alluring than _purposely_ flirty, if that makes sense?  
** LittleNightmare92: **Heh, well, hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint. Let me know what you think!**


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